I knew my time in Japan was going to be short, only an 8 day vacation to the country I already had so many good memories in. As the day came that I to leave Nagoya again I just thought what a wonderful time I had. In these short days I was able to have so much fun, eat so much good food, and spend time with a special friend. I started in Tokyo and had a good time at Disney Sea, then headed to Nagoya and watched a Japanese baseball game, went to a water park, and got to know Miho's family better.
I have been the recipient of so much kindness and hospitality. Let's put it this way, I planed to spend close to 900 dollars in Japan, but because of everyone's kindness I came back with over 300 dollars. A lot of it was due to the planning of Miho, but my experiences showed me the Japanese are such giving people and treat their guests so well.
On this last day together with Miho, I just thanked her for the wonderful person she is and the good memories we had together. We both agreed that 8 days was short as we probably won't see each other for half a year, but we both felt it was the right amount of time to be together for a vacation because we both needed to get back to work. I enjoyed all the cool and expensive things, like eating at nice restaurants and stuff but it was the simple times together like eating a cheap, delicious lunch at a department store.
It was little things like animal shaped pastries that made Japan so fun.
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This was the Chip and Dale water fun. The boat just blasted spectators with water. It was pretty crazy. They kept saying you're going to get wet more that you are imagining. And guess what we did. 
A cute show performance with Mickey and Minnie. There were good rides, good food, and good entertainment. A full day of fun. 
Me and Miho and the front of Disney Sea. Yes, I'm getting fat already, the food is so good.
Onuma-Okaasan. Looking over Tokyo city together. Tokyo tower in the background.
Yakiniku with the lab members. I remember eating yakiniku for my welcome party to the lab and now they sent me off with one last good meal. The meat was juicy. 
Me and members in the lab. I put this picture up in my room because it reminds me of all the fun times I had in Professor Endo’s lab in Nagoya University. The students were all so smart and I had such a blast there. Oh, I will miss them so much.
Chocolate chip cookies, the soft version.
Meet or fish or duck (I forget) from the first restaurant. It was pretty good. 
Some of the lab members in the group after the first restaurant for the end of the year party. The structure group is all in there as well as some other goofballs. I had such a good time with all these guys.
Rocking out with some of the guys in the lab. All of them are pros at karaoke. They even know many American songs. I was impressed because even though their normal conversation is not that good their singing in English was very good.
Me, Miho, and the Takeshima’s. The Takeshima’s are so great. Even though I just got to know them, they feel so much like family. I will miss them very much!
Look at all the food that Sena’s mom made. It was soooo good. I lost weight in Japan but I gained a lot of back tonight. 
In front of Tokyo Temple with Mr. and Mrs. Shougo Yuasa. 
At the BMB conference I saw an Agilent Technologies booth. I used to work for them during the summer so it was cool to talk to the guys there. The conference was packed with companies and literally you couldn’t read all the posters that were up in one day.
The store that sells green soy bean shakes. It was pleasantly good. Maya also treated me to the other famous product of Sendai gyuutan. It was also good. 
Me and Maya in the streets in Sendai. We came back here to get our faces drawn by a young college student.
One of the rabbits started to pee when we were collecting the blood for antibodies. Don’t worry the rabbits aren’t always kept in the metal containers. Only when we take their blood are they put in the metal contraptions so they don’t run away.
A picture from the park around Nagoya castle. The castle is obviously in the background. It was a nippy day, but really fun being a tourist.
A bread filled ice cream dessert. The bread was toasted and the ice cream was frozen and it was a delicious and an interesting warm, cold dessert.
The polo necktie for my professor. The people at the store wrap it for you for free. I guess that’s why the price is so much higher in Japan because they included service charges as well. But, if they include it in the price it’s not real service is it?
The surface Plasmon resonance machine (SPR) other-wise known as Bia-core to the Japanese because that’s the company’s name. It cost a few hundred thousand dollars, but the results we got were worth zero because the proteins we used didn’t give good results.
The process of making takoyaki. Just pour the batter with all the ingredients. (‘Tako’ means octopus and ‘yaki’ means to fry. Inside the balls contain pieces of octopus- it’s really good and really famous). Then use the special fry pan to make ball shaped dumplings. Then top it off with sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, and fish flakes.
Lights in front of Nagoya station. They’re already up for the holidays.
The memorial plaque in front of the lab where Okazaki fragments were found. If he would have lived longer he would have probably won the Nobel prize, and that would make the Science department at Nagoya University the recipient of two Nobel prizes.